Haunted By His Past

For the second time, former Edo State governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion fails to show up at father's birthday celebration fueling speculation about his whereabout

By Ndubuisi Orji

September 11 is a very special day in the life of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom and father of the immediate past governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion. It is customary for every member of the Igbinedion clan, friends and well wishers of the Benin Chief to gather on that day at his Garden of Eden residence in Benin City to observe the annual ritual.

But this year, Lucky the heir of the Igbinedion dynasty was conspicuously absent in the celebration that dignitaries from various walks of life within and outside the country attended. Though last year family sources say he was in school abroad hence he could not physically share his father's happy moment, this year, no reason was given for the absence of the former governor whose wife, Eki and siblings featured prominently in the one week event that preceded the birthday proper. It would be recalled that the younger Igbinedion was also absent from his father's birthday last year. However, impeccable sources say the former governor's two years absence in one function which means so much to his father is due to his current political travails.

While he held sway as Edo State governor, Lucky who is also the deputy chancellor of the Igbinedion University never for once missed the birthday events. Irrespective of which part of the world he would be at the time of the celebration, he always attended the September event with a number of his fellow governors.
But things are no longer the same for the deputy chancellor of the Igbinedion University, whose preferred candidate in last year's gubernatorial election, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress lost to the state governor, Professor Osareheimen Osunbor. Apart from being in political wilderness, the former governor has never made any public appearance since he handed over to Osunbor on May 29, 2007. He is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for graft.

The EFCC had on Wednesday January 23, 2008 arraigned Igbinedion before a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on a 156-count charge of corruption and abuse of office as governor of Edo State from May 29 1999 to May 29 2007.
Appearing in Court to give account of his stewardship has been Igbinedion's worst nightmare. For fear of being arrested by the EFCC on alleged corrupt practices during his tenure the former governor had fled the State shortly after relinquishing power on May 29 last year. But things came to a head for him January 8 this year when a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako issued a warrant for his arrest. The warrant was sequel to a 142-count charge filed against Igbinedion by the anti-graft agency alleging that he stole and laundered a total sum of N2.8billion within the eight-year he spent in office as governor.

Just as the anti-graft agency is prosecuting him the State government is also probing his eight years reign as governor of the heartbeat state.

The senior Igbinedion is not happy with the travails of his eldest son which has made it impossible for the former governor to participate in family celebrations like his birthday. At a pre-birthday press parley last year a reporter had sought to know from the respected chief if the former governor would be physically present at the celebration. In response, the Esama who was infuriated by the question thundered “if I were your father will you be asking me that question”?